Monastery of Mt Carmel
My Dear Friends,
God does answer prayer. Twelve years ago, the Carmel community was under five sisters and their greatest worry was simply surviving. Today they are a community of 18 sisters. Vibrant with a firm commitment to the guidelines given to them by St. Teresa of Avila, the Reformer of the Order of Carmel Discalced, these young sisters are committed to praying for us, day and night, that in a turbulent world we may know the joy of peace through communion with God. Their entire life is work, prayer and offering sacrifice for the world. They have truly given up family, travel, entertainment and other basic human enjoyments.
Today, the sisters have been blessed with many vocations and it seems that many people are drawn to the monastery for spiritual renewal and opportunities for holy Mass, the praying and singing of the Divine Office, the Rosary, Novenas and other special spiritual and musical events throughout the year. These sisters are a treasure in the heart of Morristown, NJ while the world is circling around them with great speed and preoccupied with many things, they remain still and listen to God.
Personally, for the last four years I have been privileged to be a priest volunteer who offers holy Mass and other spiritual events for the Carmel community. This has confirmed my own love for the priesthood and with the sisters praying for me I have been energized to go in many new directions that I never could believe God was also calling me to. This is what their holy life inspires and when you can take the time to experience them, it is contagious! By your own willingness to pray more and live simply, you will find these sisters to be the model, par excellence.
Financially, they are greatly burdened as the monastery, itself, is in need of repair and the community has grown so large that the sisters will need to consider building a second monastery. We ask you to consider a donation to support these, my beloved sisters, who live depending on us for basic needs and Jesus for your needs and our Holy Church.
We live in challenging times that can often discourage us, but because of the Carmel, we have an opportunity to take our story and rescue it from its isolation and re-tell it through Jesus Christ. I beg you, to participate in this financial endeavor that these sisters so bravely need our support. For them, it is a first time appeal, but they are truly confident that Jesus wants them alive and well in Morristown! Please go to: http://de.gofund.me/whzyas
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Philip-Michael Tangorra
A Son of the Carmel